Method of reproducing data in which an accelerated selection may be possible of storage media to be reproduced or to be rejected by a playback device

ABSTRACT

A method for the reproduction of data, such as digital audio data and/or video data, stored on a storage medium, for example, on an optical storage disk, in a playback device, in which an accelerated selection may be possible of storage media to be reproduced or to be rejected by playback device. In a first operating mode, data are filed in, for example, a nonvolatile memory during a play-back process of the storage medium. In a second operating mode, the storage medium is selected, for example, for a playback process and a reproduction process. Within a timespan during which the selected storage medium is brought from a magazine into a playback position, in which the data stored in the storage medium may be read out by a read device, or into an eject position, from which the selected storage medium may be retrieved, at least a part of the data filed in the memory is played back and reproduced.

This application is a 371 of PCT/DE00/03789, filed Oct. 27, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for reproducing data stored ona storage medium.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

From the Blaupunkt catalog, “Sound und Fahrvergnüfgen pur.(Sound andDriving Pleasure to the Max). Mobile Kommunikation von Blaupunkt (MobileCommunication from Blaupunkt). Programm (Program) '96/'97”, for example,compact disk changer CDC-FO5 is referred to, on which digital audio datastored on a compact disk may be played back on a playback device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By contrast, it is believed that an exemplary method according to thepresent invention has an advantage that, in a first operating mode, datamay be stored in, for example, a nonvolatile memory during a play-backprocess from the storage medium, that, in a second operating mode, thestorage medium may be selected for a playback and reproduction processand that, within a timespan during which the selected storage medium isbrought from a magazine into a playback position; in which the datastored in the storage medium may be read out by a read device, or intoan eject position in which the selected storage medium can be retrievedfrom the playback unit or the magazine, at least a part of the datastored in the memory is played back and reproduced. In this manner, thewaiting time to complete loading of the selected storage medium into theplayback position or the eject position may be dispensed with, and theuser may decide, on the basis of data reproduced during the loadingprocess, whether to select another storage medium for playback andreproduction or for ejection. Thus, the operating process for theselection of a storage medium from the supply memory may be sped up. Inthe case of audio data of the selected storage medium stored in anonvolatile memory, it may not be necessary, for example, to display thename of the selected storage medium on a display device. Rather, theuser may decide, on the basis of the reproduction of the audio data,whether to select another storage medium. This is believed to beespecially advantageous during use of an exemplary method according tothe present invention in a vehicle, since the user may not have to averthis view from road traffic for selecting the storage medium, and thushis concentration may not be impaired.

It is believed to be advantageous that the at least one data group forstorage in the first operating mode may be selected, using an operatingunit, from any memory location on the storage medium. In this manner,the user may decide which location is to be played back for a choice ofstorage medium in the second operating mode. Thus, the storage of theappropriate data groups in the memory may be optimally adapted to therequirements of the user.

It is believed that a further advantage of an exemplary method accordingto the present invention is that the at least one data group for storagein the first operating mode may be selected from a predefined memorylocation on the storage medium. In this manner, the operator action forstorage of the data groups in the first operating mode is automated, sothat operating effort is considerably reduced for the user. It isbelieved that this has an advantage during use of an exemplary methodaccording to the present invention in a vehicle in that the attention ofthe user may be distracted from road traffic in only a minor way.

It is believed to be advantageous that the storage location may bepreselected depending on the frequency of reproduction of data groups ofthe storage medium played back before, so that the at least one datagroup of the preselected storage location has the greatest playbackfrequency, or belongs to a memory section of the storage medium havingthe greatest playback frequency. In this manner, even with automatedstorage of data groups in the first operating mode, an adaptation to therequirements of the user may be achieved that is as optimal as possible,in that representative data groups are stored in the memory during thefirst operating mode for the memory section of the storage medium thatis reproduced most frequently. This may also ensure that, duringreproduction of these data groups in the second operating mode, the userrecognizes, as reliably as possible, the selected storage medium, inview of these data groups.

It is believed that a further advantage of an exemplary method accordingto the present invention is that the number of the data groups stored inthe first operating mode in the memory may be selected so that, at thelatest after a one-time playback of all the data groups of the storagemedium stored in the memory, this storage medium selected in the secondoperating mode was brought from the magazine into the playback positionor into the reject position. In this manner, it may be prevented thatthe loading process of the storage medium from the magazine into theplayback position or the eject position is noticed by the user, since itis ensured during the entire loading process that data groups of thestorage medium are reproduced from the memory. This may enhance theoperating convenience for the user.

It is believed to be advantageous that the storage medium may be readout and reproduced in the second operating mode, after reaching theplayback position and beginning at one storage location that directlyfollows that storage location, whose data were last read out andreproduced from the memory, before the playback position is reached bythe storage medium. In this manner, the playback process begun byreading out the memory in the second operating mode, after the playbackposition is reached by the storage medium, may be continued without atransition period and uninterrupted, so that the loading process of thestorage medium from the magazine into the playback position may remainunnoticed by the user. In the case of storage of audio data of thestorage medium, the operating convenience and the listening pleasure methus be increased considerably during the loading process of the storagemedium into the playback position by the magazine.

It is believed that a further advantage of an exemplary method accordingto the present invention is that the data may be stored in the memorycompressed and/or having a reduced sampling rate at reduced datacapacity. This may save storage space, and storage cost may be reducedcorrespondingly.

It is believed that a further advantage of an exemplary method accordingto the present invention is that, in the first operating mode, astarting time and/or a play duration may be ascertained for the data tobe stored in the memory, in dependence upon their storage location inthe storage medium, and that the starting time and/or the play durationmay be stored as an allocation to the identification data of the storagemedium. The storage of starting time and/or play duration may requireless storage space than storing data groups of the storage medium, thedata groups to be stored in the memory being clearly identified by thestarting time and the play duration. Thus, for example, when retrievingthe storage medium from the playback unit or the magazine, the datagroups may be deleted from the memory to save storage space, thestarting time and/or the play duration for these data groups continuingto remain in the memory for identifying the corresponding data groups ata later reintroduction of the storage medium into the playback device orthe magazine, and for storing them again on occasion in the firstoperating mode. Thus, at least data, for identifying data groups to bestored in the memory as needed, may be stored long-term also for aslarge a number as possible of storage media which may exceed the numberof storage spaces in the Magazine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a playback device.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for the functioning of the control of a playbackdevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, 15 designates a playback device, which may be configured as acompact disk changer, for example. Playback device 15 includes amagazine 25 having a first magazine space 35, a second magazine space 40and a third magazine space 45. According to the exemplary embodimentshown in FIG. 1, a first storage medium 1 is stored in first magazinespace 35, a second storage medium 5 is stored in second magazine space40, and a third storage medium 10 is stored in third magazine space 45.Storage media 1, 5, 10 may be, for example, optical storage records inthe form of compact disks, CD-ROM's, digital video disks or the like.However, storage media 1, 5, 10 may also be magnetic storage media, suchas magnetic storage disks. Digital audio data and/or video data and/orother data may be stored on storage media 1, 5, 10. In the case ofstorage media 1, 5, 10 being compact disks, digital audio data will bestored on storage media 1, 5, 10. In the case of storage media 1, 5, 10being digital video disks, digital video data will be stored on storagemedia 1, 5, 10. However, storage media 1, 5, 10 may be provided with,for example, audio data and/or video data and/or other data stored inmagnetic form for storage in magazine 25.

However, storage media 1, 5, 10 may store analog audio data and/or videodata and/or other data.

One of magazine spaces 35, 40, 45 is connected to a playback unit 50 ofplayback device 15. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, firstmagazine space 35 is connected to playback unit 50. That storage medium1, 5, 10 whose appertaining magazine space 35, 40, 45 happens to beconnected to playback unit 50 may be loaded into playback unit 50 forreading out by a read device (not shown) provided in playback unit 50,and may also be communicated back again from playback unit 50 toappertaining magazine space 35, 40, 45. The connection of playback unit50 to one of magazine spaces 35, 40, 45 may be influenced by a keyboard75 of an operating unit 30 via a control unit 90. Playback unit 50 andoperating unit 30 are thus connected to control unit 90. In thisconnection, playback unit 50 together with magazine 25 may also beprovided outside playback unit 15, for example, in the form of a compactdisk changer. Control unit 90 and operating unit 30 may be positioned,for instance, in an automobile radio connected to the compact diskchanger, as control station and operating station. Playback unit 50 isalso connected to a memory 20, and may be connected to a reproductionunit 80 via a switch 85, which may be controlled by control unit 90.Reproduction unit 80, just as memory 20, is also connected to controlunit 90. In this context, reproduction unit 80 may include one or moreloudspeakers 95 for the acoustical reproduction of, for example,digital/analog converted audio data and/or a display device 99 for thereproduction of, for example, digital/analog converted video data and/orother data. Memory 20 may also be connected to reproduction unit 80 viaswitch 85. At the selection of first storage medium 1 and thecorresponding connection of first magazine space 35 to playback unit 50,as shown in FIG. 1, playback unit 50, in a first operating mode,accesses a first storage space 55 of memory 20, which, in a secondoperating mode, may be connected to reproduction unit 80 via switch 85.Correspondingly, in memory 20, a second storage space 60 is allocated tosecond magazine space 40, and a third storage space 65 is allocated tothird magazine space 45. Memory 20 also includes a memory region 70 forstoring specific data concerning storage media 1, 5, 10 stored inmagazine 25, and possibly concerning other storage media not stored inmagazine 25 or in playback unit 50.

In the first operating mode, data in the form of at least one data groupfrom one of storage medium 1, 5, 10 stored in playback unit 50 arestored in the correspondingly allocated storage space 55, 60, 65 ofmemory 20. As shown in FIG. 1, first magazine space 35 is connected toplayback unit 50, so that, in the first operating mode, first storagemedium 1 is transported from first magazine space 35 into playback unit50, and in playback unit 50 is brought into a playback position in whichthe data stored on first storage medium 1 may be read out by the readdevice. The corresponding applies to the connection of the secondmagazine space 40 to playback unit 50 for the second storage medium 5 orto the connection of third magazine space 45 to playback unit 50 forthird storage medium 10. However, this exemplary embodiment according tothe present invention will be described in the context of first storagemedium 1.

The first operating mode may be set either by a user via keyboard 75, orautomatically by control unit 90, for example, during an operating pauseof playback unit 15. After setting of the first operating mode, one ormore of storage media 1, 5, 10 may be loaded individually into playbackunit 50 by the selection of the user via keyboard 75, or, caused bycontrol unit 90. All storage media 1, 5, 10 may be automatically loadedone after another, each individually, into playback unit 50. Anexemplary method according to the present invention is described belowfor the first operating mode in the context of first storage medium 1loaded in playback unit 50.

After first storage medium 1 in playback unit 50 has been brought intoplayback position, data of first storage medium 1 are read out by theread device and are stored in first storage space 55. In this regard,memory 20 and its storage spaces 55, 60, 65 may be nonvolatile memories.In the case of the data stored in first storage space 55, at least onedata group selected during playback of first storage medium 1 may beinvolved, which may then be stored in storage space 55. In 20, thisregard, for the selection of the at least one data group, twopossibilities are provided, although only one of the two possibilitiesmay be provided at a time.

The at least one data group may be selected by the user via keyboard 75of operating unit 30 from any storage location in first storage medium1. This selection may also be denoted as “manual selection.” Duringmanual selection, first storage medium 1 is played back in playback unit50. If a passage in first storage medium 1, regarded as distinctive bythe user, is played back, he may notify control unit 90 of this duringthe playback of the passage by the appropriate operation of keyboard 75,whereupon control unit 90 causes the storage of the data present at theselected storage location in first storage space 55. In this context, ifthe selected at least one data group is present in the middle of astorage section, for example, in a music title of first storage medium1, control unit 90 may also cause the storage of at least one data groupat the beginning of this storage section, such as the beginning of themusic title, in first storage space 55.

In addition to manual selection, the at least one data group may beselected by automatic selection. Here, the at least one data group offirst storage medium 1, to be stored in first storage space 55, isselected at a predefined storage location in first storage medium 1.This predefinition may, for example, involve a storage location at thebeginning of the first storage section of first storage medium 1, suchas the beginning of the first music title in a compact disk. Then, atleast one data group is read out from a storage location thuspredefined, and is stored in storage space 55. This predefinition of thestorage location may be suitable for storage media that have been newlyintroduced into playback device 15 or magazine 25 and have never beenplayed back by playback unit 50.

However, if first storage medium 1 involves a storage medium that hasalready been played back by playback unit 50, the storage location mayalso be predefined in dependence upon the frequency of playback of datagroups of first storage medium 1 played back before, so that the atleast one data group of the predefined storage location has the greatestreproduction frequency, or belongs to a storage section of first storagemedium 1 having the greatest reproduction frequency. The reproductionfrequency of the data groups or the storage sections of individualstorage media 1, 5, 10 or the reproduction points in time required toascertain them, may, in this context, be stored in storage region 70, inallocation to appertaining storage medium 1, 5, 10. Reproduction pointsin time lying further back may be rated lower for the ascertainment ofreproduction frequencies. At least one of the data groups reproducedmost frequently may be stored in first storage space 55 for firststorage medium 1, or at least one data group from the beginning of thestorage section of first storage medium 1, which is reproduced mostfrequently, such as the title beginning, of the music title of a compactdisk, which is most frequently reproduced, may be filed there.

To save storage space, the data in memory 20 may be filed compressedand/or have reduced sampling rate and/or have reduced data capacity.

In the first operating mode, one may ascertain a starting time and/orplay duration for the data of storage media 1, 5, 10 to be filed inmemory 20, in dependence of their storage location upon the appropriatestorage medium 1, 5, 10. In this regard, using the starting time, onemay clearly identify the storage location for the first data group ofthe corresponding storage medium 1, 5, 10 to be filed in memory 20.Using play duration, one may clearly identify the number of data groupsto be filed in memory 20 following the first data group to be filed inmemory 20. In this context, ascertaining play duration is, however, onlynecessary if more than one data group is to be filed in memory 20 forcorresponding storage medium 1, 5, 10. Starting time and/or playduration may be stored in storage region 70 in allocation tocorresponding storage medium 1, 5, 10. This allocation to correspondingstorage medium 1, 5, 10 may be made using identification data that arefiled for each storage medium 1, 5, 10 in memory 70 for each storagemedium 1, 5, 10, and include characteristic data of the correspondingstorage medium 1, 5, 10, such as total playing time and number ofstorage sections, for example, of titles on one compact disk.

In the second operating mode, the user selects via keyboard 75 one ofstorage media 1, 5, 10 for playback and for reproduction. Referring toFIG. 1, for example, the user selects first storage medium 1 in firstmagazine space 35. If first storage medium 1 is already present inplayback unit 50, the second operating mode is switched off again, andfirst storage medium 1 may immediately be read out by the read device ofplayback unit 50, and thus be played back, so that the data of firststorage medium 1 read out by the read device may be reproduced usingreproduction unit 80. In this case, control unit 90 causes switch 85 toconnect playback unit 50 to reproduction unit 80, so that the data to bereproduced may be transmitted from playback unit 50 to reproduction unit80.

If, however, storage medium 1 is still in magazine 25, the secondoperating mode remains activated, and, within a period of time in whichselected first storage medium 1 is brought from first magazine space 35to the playback position in playback unit 50, at least one part of thedata filed in first storage space 55 is played back and reproduced byreproduction unit 80. For this purpose, control unit 90 causes switch 85to connect first storage space 55 to reproduction unit 80, so that thedata to be reproduced from first storage space 55 may be reproduced onreproduction unit 80. If the data were filed compressed and/or having areduced sampling rate and/or having reduced data capacity in memory 20,before reproduction of the data on reproduction unit 80, a correspondingdecompression or reprocessing of the data is necessary so that the datamay be reproduced without acoustical and/or visual impairment byreproduction unit 80.

It may be provided that the number of data groups filed in the firstoperating mode in each respective storage space 55, 60, 65 of memory 20was selected in such a way that, at the latest after one-time playbackof all data groups of appertaining storage medium 1, 5, 10 filed inrespective storage space 55, 60, 65, this storage medium 1, 5, 10selected in the second operating mode was brought from magazine 25 intothe playback position of playback unit 50. According to the exemplaryembodiment shown in FIG. 1, in the second operating mode first storagemedium 1 was selected for playback and for reproduction. In thiscontext, in the first operating mode, at least so many data groups offirst storage medium 1 were filed in first storage space 55 that, at thelatest after one-time playback of all data groups of first storagemedium 1 filed in first storage space 55, in the second operating mode,first storage medium 1 was brought from first magazine space 35 into theplayback position of playback unit 50. Thus, the loading process offirst storage medium 1 into playback unit 50 is not perceived by theuser.

Furthermore, it may be provided that first storage medium 1, describedas an example in FIG. 1, in the second operating mode and after reachingthe playback position in playback unit 50, is read out and reproduced ina storage location that immediately follows that storage location whosedata were read out and reproduced last by first storage medium 1 fromfirst storage space 55, before reaching the playback position. In thiscontext, the read device of playback unit 50, with the aid of thestarting time stored for first storage medium 1 in storage region 70, inaddition to the time required for the loading process for transportingfirst storage medium 1 from first magazine space 35 into the playbackposition in playback unit 50, may focus on the storage location of firststorage medium 1 resulting from this time summation, provided that thetime ascertained for the transport is synchronized with the playbacktime for the data groups filed in first storage space 55. However, inthis context also, after read-out of the data groups from first storagespace 55, control unit 90 should activate switch 8 s so that, just atthe right time before playback of the data of first storage medium 1read out by the read device of playback unit 50, it connects playbackunit 50 to reproduction unit 80, after it had connected first storagespace 55 to reproduction unit 80 before, to read out the respective dataduring the transport of first storage medium 1 from magazine 25 intoplayback unit 50 from first storage space 55 and to reproduce them onreproduction unit 80.

In this manner, the playback process of data may be switched from firststorage space 55 to the playback of first storage medium 1 in playbackunit 50, without a transition and without interruption, so that thelistening or seeing pleasure of the user may not be impaired and may bestarted before storage medium 1 reaches the playback position.

The data of the appertaining storage medium 1, 5, 10 filed in one ofstorage spaces 55, 60, 65 of memory 20 may be deleted when this storagemedium 1, 5, 10 is taken out of playback device 15 or from magazine 25.When storage medium 1, 5, 10 is pushed back into playback device 15 ormagazine 25, with the aid of the identification data, stored in storageregion 70, for identifying storage medium 1, 5, 10, which has beenpushed back in, control unit 90 ascertains the appertaining storedstarting time and/or play duration also filed in storage region 70. Uponthe setting of the first operating mode, the storage location having theappertaining data is ascertained on this storage medium 1, 5, 10, usingthe starting time and/or play duration. If this storage medium 1, 5, 10is in the playback position of playback unit 50, these appertaining dataare read out and filed in the appertaining storage space 55, 60, 65 ofmemory 20. It may therefore be sufficient to provide exactly one storagespace 55, 60, 65 of memory 20 for each of magazine spaces 35, 40, 45,and still to store in a storage-space-saving way, using the startingtimes and/or play durations stored in storage region 70, theidentification of data groups of storage media that just happen not tobe in playback device 15 or in magazine 25. However, in playback device15 more storage spaces than magazine spaces may also be provided, to beable to store data groups of storage media not filed in playback device15 or magazine 25, and thus not to be dependent on the storage ofstarting times and/or play durations for the identification of such datagroups, when these storage media are pushed back in.

Additionally or alternatively, depending on the user's input on keyboard75, the appropriate storage medium 1, 5, 10, in 10 the exemplaryembodiment described as in FIG. 1 may be transported to the firststorage medium 1, instead of into the playback position of playback unit50, into an eject position of an insertion/removal port, of playbackdevice 15 or magazine 25, not shown in FIG. 1. During the transportprocess of the respective storage medium 1, 5, 10 into eject position,the data groups filed in the appertaining storage space 55, 60, 65 arereproduced on reproduction unit 80, for which switch 85 connects therespective storage space 55, 60, 65 to reproduction unit 80, caused bycontrol unit 90. Thus, during the transport of the respective storagemedium 1, 5, 10 into the eject position, the user may decide, in view ofthe data reproduced from memory 20, whether to remove the respectivestorage medium 1, 5, 10 from playback device 15 or from magazine 25. Inthis case, it is believed that an automatic system may be the mostadvantageous, in which, by the operation of an eject button on keyboard75, control unit 90 transports, one after the other, all storage media1, 5, 10 from magazine 25, individually in each case into the ejectposition, and repeats this process cyclically, for example, until theuser removes the storage medium currently in the eject position fromplayback device 15 or from magazine 25 by a renewed operation of theeject button on keyboard 75 or of another button on keyboard 75. In thiscontext, for example, a storage medium, which was not removed from theeject position after the reproduction of all data groups stored in theappertaining storage space, is transported back into magazine 25, andduring that time, the data groups for the next storage medium to betransported into the eject position are read out from the appertainingstorage space and are reproduced on reproduction unit 80. Thus, duringthe reproduction, no disturbing pauses are created, which may be causedby the return transport from the eject position to magazine 25, so thatthe user may decide from the reproduction of the data of the storagemedium to be transported next into the eject position concerning itsejection. A selection process for the ejection of a no longer neededstorage medium from playback device 15 or from magazine 25 may thus besped up for the user, so that his operating convenience may beincreased.

However, a prerequisite for an uninterrupted reproduction from memory 20is that the number of data groups filed in memory 20 in the firstoperating mode is selected for each storage space 55, 60, 65 so that, atthe latest after one-time playback of all data groups, filed in eachrespective storage space 55, 60, 65 in memory 20, of correspondingstorage medium 1, 5, 10, this storage medium 1, 5, 10 selected in thesecond operating mode is brought from the corresponding magazine space35, 40, 45 into the eject position. The number of data groups filed inthe first operating mode in respective storage space 55, 60, 65 may beselected so that, even for the return transport of a storage medium notaccepted for ejection, enough data groups are present on the respectivestorage space for the next storage medium to be transported into theeject position so as to avoid a playback pause during this returntransport and an exclusive playback of data groups during the transportof the next storage medium into the playback position. However, if thereis insufficient storage space in memory 20, no data groups from memory20 may be reproduced on reproduction unit 80 during the return transportof a storage medium, not accepted for ejection, from the eject positioninto magazine 25. Advantageously, however, both the timespan of thereturn transport of a storage medium, not accepted for ejection, fromthe eject position into magazine 25, and the timespan required for thetransport of the next storage medium from magazine 25 into the ejectposition are bridged by the playback of data groups of this storagemedium, to be brought next into the eject position, from theappertaining storage space of memory 20, and thereby the selection ofthe storage medium no longer needed in playback device 15 or in magazine25 may be made easier for the user and sped up.

An exemplary method according to the present invention is shown in FIG.2, using a flow diagram for control unit 90. At a program point 100,control unit 90 tests whether the first operating mode was set atkeyboard 75. If this is the case, the program branches to program point105, otherwise the program branches to program point 140. At programpoint 105, control unit 90 tests whether an automatic selection of datagroups of one or more storage media 1, 5, 10 filed in magazine 25 is tooccur, i.e. whether the user has not selected, via keyboard 75, astorage medium for a manual selection of data groups. If this is thecase, the program branches to program point 110, otherwise the programbranches to program point 135. At program point 110, control unit 90,which is also connected to magazine 25, causes the transport of one ofthe storage media 1, 5, 10 into the playback position in playback unit50, and ascertains from the data filed in storage region 70 which of thedata groups of this storage medium was played back before with thegreatest frequency by playback unit 50 and was reproduced onreproduction unit 80. Subsequently, the program branches to a programpoint 115. At program point 115, control unit 90 tests whether severaldata groups of various storage sections of the storage medium loadedinto playback position, having the same frequency, are present. If thisis the case, the program branches to program point 120, otherwise theprogram branches to program point 130. At program point 120, controlunit 90 causes the storage of at least one data group at the beginningof the first storage section of the storage medium present in theplayback position, for example, at the beginning of the first musictitle on a compact disk. In this connection, the storage takes place ona storage space of memory 20 allocated to the magazine space of thestorage medium currently in the playback position. Subsequently, theprogram branches to a program point 125. At program point 125, controlunit 90 causes the storage of the starting time and/or the play durationof data groups previously stored in memory 20. In this connection, thestarting time and/or the play duration are filed in storage region 70,and identification data, such as total play time and the number ofstorage sections for the storage medium currently in the playbackposition is allocated. Subsequently, the program branches to a programpoint 230. At program point 230, control unit 90 tests whether datagroups were filed in the allocated storage spaces of memory 20, for allstorage media filed in magazine 25 or in playback unit 50. If this isthe case, the program is exited, otherwise the program branches back toprogram point 110, the storage medium present in the playback positionbeing transported back into magazine 25, and a new storage medium beingtransported from magazine 25 into the playback position.

At program point 130, control unit 90 causes the storage of at least onedata group, reproduced most frequently before, of the storage mediumcurrently in the playback position in the appertaining storage space, orit causes the storage of at least one data group at the beginning of thestorage section having the greatest reproduction frequency of thestorage medium currently in the playback position, for instance, at thebeginning of the music title of a compact disk that was previously mostfrequently reproduced.

At program point 135, control unit 90 causes the storage of at least onedata group, of the storage medium currently in the playback position,that was manually preselected by the user via keyboard 75, on theappertaining storage space, or it causes the storage of at least onedata group at the beginning of a storage section, selected by the userby the use of keyboard 75, of the storage medium currently in theplayback position, in the appertaining storage space.

At program point 140, control unit 90 tests whether the first operatingmode was set by the user via keyboard 75. If this is the case, theprogram branches to program point 145, otherwise the program branches toprogram point 185. At program point 145, control unit 90 automatically,or by an appropriate input on keyboard 75 by the user, selects one ofthe storage media 1, 5, 10 in magazine 25. Subsequently, the programbranches to a program point 150. At program point 150, control unit 90causes switch 85 to connect the storage space of memory 20 allocated tothe selected storage medium to reproduction unit 80. Control unit 90also causes access to the at least one data group stored in this storagespace, provided such a one is stored there, and its reproduction onreproduction unit 80. Subsequently, the program branches to a programpoint 235. At program point 235, control unit 90 tests whether the userhas given a reject instruction at keyboard 75. If this is the case, theprogram branches to program point 240, otherwise the program branches toprogram point 155. At program point 240, control unit 90 causes switch85 to connect a storage space of memory 20, which is either allocated toa storage medium in magazine 25 automatically selected by control unit90 or selected by the user on keyboard 75, to reproduction unit 80.Control unit 80 also causes the reproduction of the data stored in thisstorage space on reproduction unit 80. Additionally, at program point240, control unit 90 causes the transport of the selected storage mediuminto the eject position. Subsequently, the program branches to a programpoint 245. At program point 245, control unit 90 tests whether, within atime predefined, for example, as a function of the data set in thestorage space to be read out, a command was entered by the user onkeyboard 75 to reject the selected storage medium. If this is the case,the program branches to program point 185, and the user may retrieve thestorage medium from the eject position, and otherwise the programbranches to a program point 250. At program point 250, the data storedin the appertaining storage space are further read out and the storagemedium is transported back from the eject position into magazine 25.Subsequently, the program branches to a program point 255. The number ofdata groups filed in the appertaining storage space of memory 20 shouldnot, in this context, be selected only in dependence on the for thetransport and possibly the return transport of a storage medium betweenthe magazine and the eject position, but the time preselected for theuser should also be considered, within which he may come to a decisionto eject, even after the eject position is reached by the selectedstorage medium, so that the data groups of a storage medium filed in acorresponding storage space are each reproduced only once onreproduction unit 80. However, it may also be provided to read out theappertaining storage space cyclically, so that storage space may besaved in memory 20, while putting up with repetition of reproductions onreproduction unit 80. Subsequently, the program branches to a programpoint 255. At program point 255, control unit 90 tests whether allstorage media were offered to the user for an eject decision in theeject position. If this is the case, the program is exited, otherwisethe program branches back to program point 240, and a new storage mediumis transported into the eject position. The user may be offered thestorage media repeated cyclically in the eject position for ejection,for as long a time until the user, by input on keyboard 75, breaks offthe process for the selection of a storage medium for ejection fromplayback device 15 or magazine 25.

At program point 155, control unit 90 causes switch 85 to connect thestorage space allocated to the selected storage medium to reproductionunit 80, and causes reproduction unit 80 to reproduce the data stored inthis storage space. Furthermore, control unit 90 causes the transport ofthe selected storage medium from magazine 25 into the playback position.Subsequently, the program branches to a program point 160. At programpoint 160, control unit 90 tests whether the selected storage medium hasreached the playback position. If this is the case, the program branchesto program point 165, otherwise the program branches to program point180. At program point 180, control unit 90 executes a wait loop. Theprogram subsequently branches back to program point 160. At programpoint 165 control unit 90 ascertains the storage location on the storagemedium currently in the playback position which directly follows thestorage location whose data were last read out from the appertainingstorage space before the storage medium reached the playback positionand were reproduced on reproduction unit 80. Control unit 90 thereuponcauses the focusing of the read device of playback unit 50 on thisascertained storage location. Subsequently, the program branches to aprogram point 170. At program point 170, control unit 90 causes switch85 to connect playback unit 50 to reproduction unit 80. subsequently,the program branches to a program point 175. At program point 175,control unit 90 causes the read-out of data of the storage mediumcurrently in the playback position, beginning with the ascertainedstorage location and its reproduction on reproduction unit 80.Subsequently, the program is exited.

At program point 185, control unit 90 tests whether a storage mediumpresent in the eject position was removed by the user. If this is thecase, the program branches to program point 190, otherwise the programbranches to program point 195. At program point 190, control unit 90causes the deletion of data in that storage space of memory 20, whichwas allocated to the storage medium removed by the user from the ejectposition. The program is subsequently exited. At program point 195,control unit 90 tests whether a storage medium was inserted into theinsertion/removal port of playback device 15 or magazine 25. If this isthe case, the program branches to program point 200, otherwise theprogram is exited. At program point 200, control unit 90 causes theidentification of the inserted new storage medium in the light of theidentification data stored in storage region 70, of the total play timeand of the number particularly of the storage sections of this storagemedium, for instance of the total play time and the number of musictitles on a compact disk. Subsequently, the program branches to aprogram point 205. At program point 205, control unit 90 tests by acomparison of the identification data ascertained from the newlyinserted storage medium and the identification data filed in storageregion 70, which may also include the total play time and the number ofstorage sections of storage media filed before in playback device 15 orin magazine 25. If, at program point 205, control unit 90 determinesthat there is agreement of the identification data of the newly insertedstorage medium with the identification data already filed in storageregion 70, the program branches to a program point 210, otherwise theprogram branches back to program point 100. At program point 210,control unit 90 tests whether playback device 15 is in an operatingpause. If this is the case, the program branches to program point 215,otherwise the program branches to program point 225. At program point225, control unit 90 executes a wait loop. The program subsequentlybranches back to program point 210. At program point 215, control unit90 causes the transport of the newly inserted storage medium into theplayback position.

Subsequently, the program branches to a program point 220. At programpoint 220, control unit 90 causes the ascertainment of at least one datagroup of the storage medium currently in the playback position, asallocation to the data stored in storage region 70 for this storagemedium, concerning the starting time and/or the play duration of thedata groups preselected at an earlier point in time or selected, of thestorage medium currently in the playback position. Caused by controlunit 90, the at least one data group is then filed in a storage space ofmemory 20, which is allocated to the magazine space reserved for thestorage medium currently in the playback position. The program issubsequently exited.

An exemplary method according to the present invention may be suitablefor storing characteristic digital audio data of storage media designedas compact disks present in a playback device 15 designed as a compactdisk changer, for example, in the case of compact disk ejection inchangers not having magazines, that is, in playback devices 15 in whichthe magazine 25, as shown in FIG. 1, is integrated into playback device15, and in which only a single insertion/removal port is provided forplayback device 15. In this compact disk changer, it may not bepossible, when removing a compact disk, to push out all the compactdisks of magazine 25 at once. In this case, the compact disks may onlybe released for ejection one at a time, via the insertion/removal portof playback device 15.

1. A method for the reproduction of data stored on a storage medium in aplayback device, the method comprising: filing the data in a memorydevice during a playback and reproduction operation of the storagemedium in a first operating mode; selecting the storage medium fortransporting into an eject position in a second operating mode; and atleast one of playing back and reproducing at least a part of the datafiled in the memory device within a timespan during which the selectedstorage medium is brought into an eject position, if the selectedstorage medium is brought into the eject position.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein at least one data group is selected in the firstoperating mode during the playback of the storage medium, the at leastone data group being filed in the memory device.
 3. The method of claim2, wherein the at least one data group is selected using an operatingunit at any one of storage locations on the storage medium.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the at least one data group is selected at apreselected storage location on the storage medium.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein a number of the data groups filed in the firstoperating mode in the memory is selected so that, at the latest after aone-time playback of all the data groups of the storage medium filed inthe memory device, the storage medium selected in the second operatingmode has been one of brought from the magazine into the playbackposition and brought into the eject position.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the data filed in the memory device are at least one ofcompressed, have a reduced sampling rate, and have reduced datacapacity.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating modeincludes ascertaining at least one of a starting time and a playduration for the data to be filed in the memory device depending on astorage location of the data on the storage medium, at least one of thestarting time and the play duration being stored in allocation toidentification data of the storage medium.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the second operating mode includes reading out and reproducingthe storage medium beginning at a storage location that directly followsa storage location whose data were last read out and reproduced from thememory device before the storage medium reached the playback position,the storage medium being read out and reproduced after reaching theplayback position.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is atleast one of digital audio data and video data.
 10. The method of claim1, wherein the storage medium includes an optical storage disk.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the memory device includes a nonvolatilememory device.
 12. A method for the reproduction of data stored on astorage medium in a playback device, the method comprising: filing thedata in a memory device during a playback and reproduction operation ofthe storage medium in a first operating mode; selecting the storagemedium for the playback and the reproduction operation in a secondoperating mode; and playing back and reproducing at least a part of thedata filed in the memory device within a timespan during which theselected storage medium is brought from a magazine into an ejectposition, from which the selected storage medium may be retrieved fromone of the playback device and a magazine.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the data is at least one of digital audio data and video data.14. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage medium includes anoptical storage disk.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the memorydevice includes a nonvolatile memory device.
 16. A method for thereproduction of data stored on a storage medium in a playback device,the method comprising: filing the data in a memory device during aplayback and reproduction operation of the storage medium in a firstoperating mode; selecting the storage medium for the playback and thereproduction operation in a second operating mode; and at least one ofplaying back and reproducing at least a part of the data filed in thememory device within a timespan during which the selected storage mediumis one of brought from a magazine into a playback position and broughtinto an eject position, the data stored on the storage medium being readout by a read device if the selected storage medium is brought from themagazine into the playback position, the selected storage medium beingretrieved from one of the playback device and the magazine if theselected storage medium is brought into the eject position, wherein: theat least one data group is selected using an operating unit at any oneof storage locations on the storage medium, the at least one data groupis selected at a preselected storage location on the storage medium, thestorage location is preselected depending on the frequency ofreproduction of the at least one data group of the storage mediumpreviously played back, and the at least one data group of thepreselected storage location one of has the greatest reproductionfrequency and belongs to a memory section of the storage medium havingthe greatest reproduction frequency.
 17. A method for the reproductionof data stored on a storage medium in a playback device, the methodcomprising: filing the data in a memory device during a playback andreproduction operation of the storage medium in a first operating mode;selecting the storage medium for the playback and the reproductionoperation in a second operating mode; and at least one of playing backand reproducing at least a part of the data filed in the memory devicewithin a timespan during which the selected storage medium is one ofbrought from a magazine into a playback position and brought into aneject position, the data stored on the storage medium being read out bya read device if the selected storage medium is brought from themagazine into the playback position, the selected storage medium beingretrieved from one of the playback device and the magazine if theselected storage medium is brought into the eject position, wherein thefirst operating mode includes ascertaining at least one of a startingtime and a play duration for the data to be filed in the memory devicedepending on a storage location of the data on the storage medium, atleast one of the starting time and the play duration being stored inallocation to identification data of the storage medium; deleting thedata of the storage medium filed in the memory device when the storagemedium is retrieved from at least one of the playback device and themagazine; ascertaining, from the stored identification data, at leastone of an appertaining stored starting time and an appertaining playduration upon reinsertion of the storage medium into at least one of theplayback device and the magazine; ascertaining, using the at least oneof the appertaining stored starting time and the appertaining playduration, the storage location having the appertaining data on thestorage medium upon setting the first operating mode; and reading outand filing the appertaining data in the memory device.